To think David Cameron has a nerve setting standards for good parenting?

[echt]

You couldn't make it up, though to be fair he thinks everyone is bit shit and needs Tory guidance, not just the feckless proles, for once.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/10/david-cameron-parents-children-lessons#comments

'I would love to break the assumption that parenting classes are for bad/ineffective parents.'

Completely agree. Every single parent has questions, every single parent feels unsure of what they are doing at some point. There should be free, accessible, evidence-based parenting programmes available to all. They could even be run in Children's Centres, if there are any left open by the time the Tories have finished Accessing parenting advice, support and guidance should become completely normalised, so that it just becomes 'what you do', rather than something you get sent on when you have 'failed' as a parent.

I am no David Cameron fan, but I'm very much on board with this, in theory at least. Much less keen on the nonsense about keeping families together. Very valid points raised upthread about the impact of poverty on relationships, and as if this is news to anyone, some families need to 'break up' for the health and sanity of all concerned. I have no time for his lazy idea that all is rosy in the garden if we have mummy, daddy and baby(ies) living together under the same roof.

I'd be interested in finding out where these classes are going to be taking place.

Our local children's centre used to run them, until it was closed down.

Before that, they used to take place in the local community centre. Funding was cut and it too was closed down.

What's left?

Aren't 5 year olds at an all-time low in terms of school readiness, and don't children have more cavities now than ever, and aren't more children obese now than ever, and isn't numeracy and literacy at an all time low, etc, etc?

I believe children are now more likely to have an Iphone than a resident father.

I'd say the UK is in the grip of a bad-parenting epidemic. Whether DC is the person to set everyone straight, who knows - he's the only PM we've got.

Parenting classes should be on the school curriculum.

Not linked to benefits.
Not doled out by someone with a political agenda.

What makes me really angry is that parents of children with suspected disabilities such as autism are sent to parenting classes instead of being put on a diagnostic pathway in some local authorities - particularly in one family I know where there are four children and there are only issues with the third.

But I can just imagine lesson 1 in DC's parenting class - "ok chaps, make sure you leave your daughter in a pub, it's educational, what"

Someone I know was sent on one of these despite having two others with no behaviour problems. She said she learnt nothing and when she asked questions they said they didn't have the expertise to advise if there was significant sn involved. Meanwhile there are those with children with sn and severe behavioural problems or mental health problems and there is no help available.

God bless him. Many many parents need lessons because to be a parent does not mean to produce a child, but also to bring it up as a responsible and respectful citizen. Sadly too little understand that.

DC would be better putting his energy and resources into lifting children living in poverty, out of poverty. The knock on effect to society as a whole would be astonishing.

Very well put mathanxiety

*How about free legal aid? Many women would find that much more useful than couples counselling.

AmberPoppy, the elephant in the room is that separating or divorcing makes you poor if you are a mother but not necessarily so if you are a father.*

Couldn't agree more. Currently going through the hell that is divorce right now and the outcome for DC and me would be so much better if we had free legal aid. We're going to struggle financially because we can't get my ex to 'share fairly' and I can't afford to fight him. So I have to take it on the chin and hope we can manage as we are.

When we had counselling through Relate after he attacked me they were tripping over themselves to get me to stay with him.

Cameron and his kind have made it more likely that the children of separated couples, and the lower earner (usually the woman), will experience poverty. They havn't got a fucking clue.

bold fail

knobblyknee yes he left his 8 year old in a pub (him thinking Sam Cam had her in car, she thinking he had her in his car) for 15 mins...they returned home, realised and went back, where she'd been having a great time being looked after by the waitresses. Utter shock horror.

I wonder how may of us can say we have never done anything daft with out children? I think we should stop going on about the leaving in the pub thing now. It's counter productive.

he left his 8 year old in a pub

Both parents left their child in a pub.

Even worse if 2 parents both manage to leave the dd in the pub surely. Wouldn't really happen where I live as most pubs have a no children policy whether or not accompanied by delinquent parents.

clearly wouldn't happen to you anyway howabout as you sound 100% perfect as a parent and clearly have never ever slipped up??

I think the offer of universal parenting classes is good.
I guess more people go to anti-natal classes than parenting ones ATM which is a shame I think - both are important and could help with some crucial life and relationship challenges.

Also rather than expect schools and pre-schools to deliver everything for children and families I'd like to see more support to help parents themselves provide a good upbringing for their DC.

I'd rather see it put forward by someone else, but then I didn't vote this lot in!

Ahh, it's ante-natal isn't it?!

nini Ive seen posts on several threads about how Relate seem to bust a gut persuading women to stay with abusive men.

I wonder how may of us can say we have never done anything daft with out children? I think we should stop going on about the leaving in the pub thing now. It's counter productive.
I agree.

I know full well that every single poster on this thread will have done something daft at some time or other.

But none of us presume to lecture others on how to parent. Well - mostly. There are a few twats that do. not necessarily posters on this thread disclaimer

And we don't try to pass our opinions into law by trying to put through a terribly nanny state policy.

I thought conservatives didn't like the nanny state?

Ever since the days of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the Conservatives, and conservatives, have been the party of true revolution.

Provoking it?

I work in the political field part-time (I wear many hats ), and I can see between the lines here.

I suspect this announcement is a response to the issue of child neglect (which has become a cross-class issue, particularly benign neglect), trying to get people to recognise their parental responsibilities extend beyond bed, board and babygros, and that quite a lot of blokes bugger off and don't bother with their kids again, let alone pay for them.

What this policy does is try to hit three birds with one stone (a typical sign of a fairly decent policy) and he's spinning it as a universal scheme, using wide positive language, so that no one group feels targeted. The voucher aspect also makes it voluntary, which allows for choice and also makes people more likely to use the service than if they are legally required to do so.

I very much doubt mns are the target demographic for this policy.

Well they should be - we ask lots questions about parenting, child development etc. on the boards, so I'm sure MNers would enjoy parenting classes and find them useful.